Valleywise Health

WOONSOCKET, R.I., March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Health® (NYSE: CVS) today announced more than $3 million in new grants to support organizations in Phoenix working to increase equitable access to health care, address social determinants of health and educate the community on the effects of air pollution. This announcement was made during a Project Health event in Phoenix and included CVS Health leaders, community organizations and local officials. "No two communities are the same," said Sheryl Burke, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at CVS Health. "That's why we are constantly looking for ways to pull together all our community-based and sustainability efforts – like here in Phoenix – to make a meaningful impact and collaborate with organizations who know the community best to address the unique barriers to improving health outcomes. With nearly 12,000 employees working across the state who deliver care through 187 pharmacies, dozens of MinuteClinic®, specialty pharmacy and Oak Street Health® locations, and for a million Aetna® members, this is also a part of our continued work to invest in the communities where we live and work." Bridging a critical gap in the health care and social systems With 65% of South Phoenix residents overweight or obese and knowing that 80% of health care costs are primarily due to preventable chronic diseases, CVS Health saw an opportunity to tailor its Health Zones initiative in Phoenix to address the high levels of diabetes and hypertension. The CVS Health Foundation is investing $2.1 million over three years between Valleywise Health, Home Assist Health and Advance to support integrated diabetes management services, including home health and monitoring, medically tailored food boxes and educational resources. By encouraging this more connected, coordinated use of resources between each Health Zone organization, the company aims to help simplify a complex care navigation process and bridge a critical gap in the health care and social systems. "We believe that the right resources can transform health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities, greatly reducing or eliminating generational health inequities for improved quality of life for patients in the Greater South Phoenix community," said Dr. Michelle Barker, Senior Vice President of Ambulatory Services and Chief Executive Officer of FQHC, Valleywise Health. "This visionary investment from CVS Health will allow our clinical teams and valued community partners, Home Assist Health and Advance, to wrap our arms around our most vulnerable patients and provide them with the care, education and resources they need to live healthy lives." Collaborating to educate the community about air pollution One in three Americans lives in a community with unhealthy air levels, and Phoenix ranks among the most polluted cities in the U.S. for ozone and particulate pollution. Through a new collaboration with the American Lung Association, CVS Health is investing $3.5 million over four years nationwide to combat this health issue and will pilot it first in Phoenix. The company will distribute nearly $1 million of the $3.5 million project to support Phoenix health care providers and organizations working to expand educational resources, increase access to care and supportive services for individuals with lung disease and leverage local air quality data to raise awareness of where pollution is most concentrated. The Phoenix health care providers and organizations will be named in April. "Every day, we work with people whose lung health has been impacted by climate change," said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "It is critical to address this in the communities that are seeing the greatest impact, like Phoenix, and we're thankful to be working with the CVS Health Foundation on this innovative project to improve the health of people in Phoenix who are living with lung disease." Increasing access to mental health and free screening services CVS Health also recently awarded a $100,000 grant over two years to support the Phoenix Indian Center's efforts to fund its Suicide-Safer Communities project, which will expand its suicide prevention services for Native Americans living in Phoenix. As studies continue to show that suicide is among the leading causes of death in the United States, bolstering the Phoenix Indian Center's efforts is part of the company's continued commitment to supporting organizations that improve the quality and availability of mental health services in under-resourced communities. In addition to these new grants, CVS Health will offer free health screenings to the Phoenix community through its Project Health program, starting in March. Project Health mobile unit events are hosted at CVS Pharmacy parking lots and a vast network of local organizations to help ensure transportation is not a barrier to receiving health services. They offer free biometric screenings, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose level and body mass index to detect early risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. The screenings also offer a PHQ-2 assessment to help identify people who require additional evaluation for depression. All individuals have an on-site consult with a nurse practitioner and are provided a directory of local health care providers and resources. In 2023, CVS Health hosted 109 events in Phoenix and screened 2,814 participants, including 1,022 depression, 715 osteoporosis bone density, 581 mini-cognitive and 126 smoking cessation consultations. The full schedule of Project Health events can be found online. "A person's zip code shouldn't determine how long they'll live or whether they'll develop preventable chronic diseases," said Phoenix Councilwoman Laura Pastor. "That's why I'm proud of the over $3 million investment CVS Health is making over the next three years to support diabetes management services and increase access to care and education for individuals with lung diseases throughout Phoenix. As someone who has always advocated for equitable access to health care, I am impressed by the commitment CVS Health continues to show the community by removing barriers and meeting people where they're at to deliver health care." About CVS Health CVS Health® is the leading health solutions company, delivering care like no one else can. We reach more people and improve the health of communities across America through our local presence, digital channels and over 300,000 dedicated colleagues — including more than 40,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses and nurse practitioners. Wherever and whenever people need us, we help them with their health — whether that's managing chronic diseases, staying compliant with their medications or accessing affordable health and wellness services in the most convenient ways. We help people navigate the health care system — and their personal health care — by improving access, lowering costs and being a trusted partner for every meaningful moment of health. And we do it all with heart, each and every day. Follow @CVSHealth on social media. Media contacts Courtney Tavener 401-712-3698 [email protected] Monica Prinzing 831-241-8294 [email protected] SOURCE CVS Health

PHOENIX, Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As Valleywise Health moves toward the opening of its new 673,000 square-foot, 10-story hospital, leaders today announced that construction is 95% completed. Exteriors and infrastructure are finished, including electrical, plumbing and medical gasses. At this point the heavy focus and efforts are on testing systems, final inspections, touch-up and clean-up. "It's beyond exciting to be only months away from opening our new Valleywise Health Medical Center," said Steve Purves, Valleywise Health President and CEO. "This state-of-the-art hospital will serve to further our mission of providing exceptional care without exception, every patient, every time." The new Valleywise Health Medical Center will open to patients on April 11, 2024, heralding a new era of care for Arizona's only public teaching hospital and safety net system of care. "This new hospital is far more than a building, it's the healthy future of our community," said Dr. Michael White, Chief Clinical Officer. "It will enable us to better provide safe, quality care and train a new generation of health care providers in a healing, patient-centric environment." The new site will house the 75,000 square-foot Diane & Bruce Halle Arizona Burn Center, and specialties including cardiology, trauma and emergency, maternity, NICU, oncology, pharmacy, radiology and more. With ten operating rooms, two interventional radiology areas, two cardiac catheterization labs and two helipads, the new site represents significant growth over the legacy hospital that opened in 1971. Further enhancing the patient experience, each of the 233 individual patient rooms, unlike the old facility, will have private bathrooms and sleeper sofa/recliners to support families. The state-of-the-art kitchen will provide more options for patients and visitors alike. "Our new hospital was designed to put patients first," White added. "It incorporates the significant technological advancements made in health care and the additional space will ensure we can provide the best care possible." About Valleywise Health Located in Phoenix, Arizona and named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation by IBM Watson Health in 2020, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System) has a proud tradition of being the community safety net health care system with a mission and commitment to serving the underserved. Valleywise Health consists of Valleywise Health Medical Center, Arizona's only public teaching hospital, a Level 1 trauma center with the ability to treat adults and children and Arizona's only nationally verified Burn Center serving the entire Southwestern United States. SOURCE LaneTerralever

PHOENIX, Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Children's is taking another leap forward with the addition of two internationally recognized scientists and new research efforts that will improve quality and outcomes for children facing a range of illnesses. "We are thrilled to welcome two brilliant researchers whose knowledge and expertise expand our purview and add even more momentum to our work," said Stewart Goldman, MD, senior vice president of research for Phoenix Children's and Sybil B. Harrington endowed chair and professor, Department of Child Health at University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. "With these hires, we're delving into new cancer treatments that have fewer side effects while also enhancing our understanding and care of brittle bone disease." Earlier this month, Tanya Kalin, MD, PhD, was named vice chair of translational research for the Phoenix Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Dr. Kalin, who came to Phoenix Children's from Cincinnati Children's and her namesake Kalin Research Lab, focuses on developing new therapies to treat childhood cancers that have metastasized to the lungs and chronic fibrosing lung diseases with fewer negative side effects for children. Her research will take place within The Phoenix Children's Research Institute at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. To date, her research has been awarded more than $11.5 million in federal and grant funding. She has served as principal investigator or co-investigator on several R01 studies funded by the National Institutes of Health. Phoenix Children's also recently announced that Maegen Wallace, MD, MBA, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, researcher and expert in osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, has joined the Herbert J. Louis Center for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Phoenix Children's. Here, Dr. Wallace is focusing her clinical practice on lower-extremity issues, osteogenesis imperfecta and other rare skeletal diseases while continuing her research to define best clinical practices and uncover new treatment options for patients suffering from debilitating skeletal conditions. Dr. Wallace comes to Phoenix Children's from Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, where she was the Dr. Paul and Bernadette Esposito Endowed Chair in Pediatric Bone Disorders. Dr. Wallace has served as principal investigator on numerous studies of osteogenesis imperfecta. The two join a large and growing team of researchers investigating new therapies for a wide range of devastating childhood illnesses. Recent work examines the safety of ketamine in critical care, outcomes for children and adults with severe heart defects, trends in prenatal diagnoses of congenital heart defects, efficacy of vaccines for influenza and COVID-19, and treatment of pediatric migraine: Ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, was found to have no negative impact on blood oxygen levels or blood pressure of critically ill children intubated for neurological reasons. Aline Branca, MD, critical care physician at Phoenix Children's, co-authored this recently published study as part of the National Emergency Airway Registry for Children and the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury, Sepsis Investigators Network. Patients with heart defects requiring a specialized operation known as the Fontan procedure may eventually require a heart transplant – but their post-transplant survival rates have improved over time, according to new research that also sheds light on appropriate care for young adult Fontan patients. Jordan Awerbach, MD, MPH, a pediatric cardiologist at Phoenix Children's Center for Heart Care, co-authored the study as part of the Alliance for Adult Research in Congenital Cardiology multicenter group. Another study targeting patients aged 9-18 who have undergone a Fontan procedure found they can safely use a new device known as CardioMEMs to manage Fontan-related complications. The manuscript was developed by Deepti Bhat, MD, and co-authored by Joseph Graziano, MD, and Byron Garn, MD, all pediatric cardiologists in Phoenix Children's Center for Heart Care. Babies in Arizona less than one year of age who require cardiac surgery for major congenital heart defects are benefitting from improved prenatal detection, but there remains a discrepancy in the detection rate among urban, rural and Native American populations. Donny Mattia, MD, and Chelsea Matney, MD, pediatric cardiology fellows at Phoenix Children's Center for Heart Care, recently published this work. A team of physician-researchers from Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's recently authored a study that examined acute and preventive pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of pediatric migraines. This work is an important step forward in understanding the effectiveness of common treatments, many of which are not FDA approved or lack evidence of efficacy. Phoenix Children's, in collaboration with Arizona State University and Valleywise Health, is part of a five-year study to examine vaccine effectiveness against influenza and COVID-19. Joanna Kramer, DO, a Phoenix Children's pediatrician, serves as the site principal investigator for this research, which is funded and coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC officials recently visited Arizona for a first-hand look at this study. An ongoing, health system-wide study on the social determinants of health (SDoH) is screening Phoenix Children's patients and connecting at-risk families with community resources. Since the study's launch, the project has surveyed more than 180,000 patients, identifying more than 30,000 with SDoH concerns. Now, Phoenix Children's is building out a data dashboard to automate and prioritize referrals, document consent and submission status, and track improvements over time. The Phoenix Children's Research Institute at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix launched in May 2023, formalizing a longstanding research collaboration between the health system and the UArizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. More than 700 active studies, 640 research investigators and 90 research staff members including research scientists, associates, biostatisticians, pharmacists, nurses, coordinators and assistants. Scientists engage in research across multiple clinical disciplines including cancer, neurology, cardiology, pulmonology and more. Learn more at phoenixchildrens.org/centers-programs/research. About Phoenix Children's Phoenix Children's is one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems. It comprises Phoenix Children's Hospital – Thomas Campus, Phoenix Children's Hospital – East Valley, Phoenix Children's – Avondale Campus, four pediatric specialty and urgent care centers, 11 community pediatric practices, 20 outpatient clinics, two ambulatory surgery centers and seven community-service outpatient clinics throughout the state of Arizona. The system provides world-class inpatient, outpatient, trauma, emergency and urgent care and has been serving children and families for 40 years. Phoenix Children's Care Network includes more than 1,175 pediatric primary care providers and specialists who deliver care across more than 75 subspecialties. Alongside our colleagues, collaborators and communities, we're elevating pediatric care, education and innovation, so we can all grow healthier together. For more information, visit phoenixchildrens.org. SOURCE Phoenix Children's